“Hey! If you help me, who’s going to watch the store? No matter how good the security is around here, there are always people with sticky fingers.”
When I looked at him with worried eyes, the rat wrinkled his nose.
“Are you worried I won’t hear you? You’re such a strange kid. Is that why Boss Ppik praised you so much—because you’re human?”
Ah… so he knows I’m human. Does human scent come out separately?
I lifted my arm and sniffed it, then handed the paper back to him.
Watching the rat scurry off saying he’d get it right away, I entered the cafe. I poured lemon water into a cup, closed the lid, and brought it out.
After standing there for a moment, I saw the rat coming into view from beyond, scurrying along with two boxes stacked on top of his head.
Surprised, I ran over, set down the cup beside me, and knelt down on one knee. The rat looked at me with an unbothered expression, sniffed around, and gestured with his hand.
“Look, human. Don’t worry and just hurry up and open the door for me. This much is really light.”
“Y-yes.”
Since he showed no signs of struggling, I fidgeted anxiously, then grabbed the cup and ran to open the cafe door.
After going inside and setting down the boxes near where the coffee beans were stored, the rat patted his shoulders and came over to me, holding out his hand.
“You were going to give that to me, right? Give it here.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I smiled slightly and bowed as I handed him the cup. I had tried to find the smallest size possible, but it still looked big.
As he gulped it down, I placed my hand on the cup to support it slightly.
“I told you it’s light for me! Honestly…”
“Yes. I was worried the water might spill.”
When I smiled and made an excuse, the rat shook his head.
After wiping his face with the small towel around his neck, he strode toward the door.
“I’m going! I still have two more deliveries after this, so I need to hurry.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
I felt bad just letting him go. Is it because he’s so small…?
I went to the counter and took out the cookies I had made small that I was going to take with me. I broke the cookies to make them even smaller, packaged them, and handed them to the rat.
“Eat these if you get bored while working.”
“…I swear…”
The rat made a strange expression as he received the cookies, then sighed.
“This is why we can’t hate you guys. I wish I could just hate you completely…”
“Pardon?”
His voice was too soft for me to hear. When I crouched down and lowered myself even more, the rat waved his hand saying it was fine.
“Never mind. Since Bihyeon-nim has allowed you to work here, I’m not going to say anything either.”
I blinked and nodded. The rat grimaced, then pulled out something wrapped tightly in a very small cloth from his pocket and held it out to me.
“Here. I was originally going to eat this myself… but I’ll just give it to you.”
“Wow, how cute.”
What is this? It looks like a miniature. When I accepted it with sparkling eyes, the rat stomped his feet on the floor and frowned.
“You thought it was a toy!”
“What? N-no…!”
Surprised, I opened my eyes wide and quickly shook my head.
“I swear. Even though it’s small, it’s chapssaltteok made by me, one of the Twelve Zodiac Deities.”
“Yes, thank y— Pardon?”
Wh-what deity…? The Twelve Zodiac Deities?
“Keep it a secret from Boss Ppik. Everyone around here thinks I’m just an ordinary guy. I’m tired of being a deity, so I’m hiding my presence and going around.”
“Y-yes…”
But why are you telling me this…?
When I bowed with my hands trembling slightly, the rat waved his hand saying it was fine.
“I’d better hurry. It’ll be past 1 o’clock soon.”
When I turned my head to check the time, I heard a tinkling sound. When I looked ahead, the rat had already opened the door and left.
“Ah, good…bye.”
Unable to properly say goodbye, I stood there awkwardly, then looked at what was in my hand.
It’s so small I won’t even be able to taste it. Haha, I laughed, then went to the counter and placed it in front of me.
‘I’ll toast some bread later when I get hungry and eat it together.’
And so 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock…
Past 4 o’clock there were so few customers that I busily looked for things to do by myself.
When I heard the tinkling sound, I felt a bit happy and shouted “Welcome!” while looking at the door with sparkling eyes.
“Hm?”
At my voice, which was more welcoming than usual, Bihyeon’s eyes widened slightly as he entered.
He approached me to place an order, then suddenly brought his face close to mine and sniffed.
“There’s a familiar scent.”
He stared at me, then went “Ah” and smiled.
“You must have met Seodam.”
“Who’s Seodam… I did meet a rat earlier though.”
What… have I gotten used to it? He approaches so naturally now.
I blinked and lifted my arm to smell myself. All I could smell was coffee and sweet scents from working.
“Interesting. Usually he makes his subordinates do it.”
“Ah, is the rat-nim perhaps a boss?”
So even deities work really hard…?
“He does have a high position, but it’s not for that reason. He has limited time to be active. If he goes over that time, he has to use his divine power, so he doesn’t move around much.”
I was more amazed that Bihyeon knew all this, but I didn’t say anything and kept my mouth shut. As I smiled awkwardly and watched his reaction, Bihyeon smiled and held out his card.
“An iced Americano, please. By the way, it seems Seodam gave you something.”
Seeing his mischievous eyes gave me an ominous feeling.
“Yes, he gave me chapssaltteok. Why… why? Is this not good?”
When I processed the payment and held out his card, Bihyeon laughed lowly.
“Of course it’s not poison, but aren’t you being too careless? You accept everything without knowing what it is.”
I thought since it was from a deity, it obviously wouldn’t be bad. But honestly, I did accept it without any suspicion.
Bihyeon, who had just been looking at me, shrugged his shoulders. His eyes showed he didn’t like something, but I pretended not to notice.
“Um… is it bad for me?”
“Since a deity’s hand touched it, it’ll be fine no matter what. You’ll recover your energy… though, ah, humans will have too much energy and won’t be able to sleep.”
“Sleep…”
That’s a problem. But how does he know the person I met was a deity… no, let’s just not think about it. He’s the Golden Dragon after all.
With a feeling of enlightenment, I smiled and turned around to make the drink.
“You can eat it in small pieces, but isn’t it too small for that?”
Right. Breaking that into pieces would be more work. Even bringing a magnifying glass wouldn’t work.
“…I’ll just go without sleep for a day.”
“You’re not saying you won’t eat it.”
“It would be rude when someone went to the trouble, wouldn’t it?”
Not being able to sleep… then I’ll save it and eat it when I go to the festival with Bihyeon.
I put a lemon slice in the drink, closed the lid, and handed it to Bihyeon. He didn’t leave right away but sat at a table with a good view of the counter, as if waiting for me.
“I’m going to toast some bread, would you like some?”
“What are you going to make?”
At my question, Bihyeon smiled languidly.
“I’m debating between making pizza bread or spreading strawberry jam.”
“Hmm… I’ll have strawberry jam spread on mine.”
I nodded and took out the toaster to put in the bread.
I already made walnut pie when I had time earlier… I finished all the cleaning and organized all the coffee beans too.
Now I should rest a bit until it’s time to leave. I sat in the chair spacing out, then raised my head to watch Bihyeon who was drinking his beverage while looking elsewhere.
Since he kept looking at one spot, I followed his gaze. When I turned my head, I could see the ornament I had hung on the door.
I heard the sound of bread coming out of the toaster and slowly got up from my seat. Even then, Bihyeon was staring intently at the ornament. When I moved, he turned his head to look elsewhere, but his eyes were shining with a strange emotion.
No matter how I looked at it, that was longing…
Since someone whose thoughts I usually couldn’t read was acting like that, I couldn’t help but be concerned.
“That ornament seems to go well with the interior here.”
“It does.”
I thought he’d say it absolutely didn’t. Since he gave an unexpectedly positive answer, I paused while spreading butter. Watching me like that, Bihyeon laughed and said quietly while propping his chin.
“Just use one yourself. You’re trying to give that to me, aren’t you?”
“…How did you know…”
What, how did he know that too?
“I don’t recommend giving it to me.”
Right now he was looking at me with playful eyes. I frowned and looked at him seriously as I finished spreading the jam and handed it to him.
“Is it bad for you, Bihyeon-nim?”
“Rather than bad… ah, I guess it is bad. Those beads have strong water energy.”
“In what way is it bad?”
Will I really get cursed? With an ominous feeling, I carefully asked, and Bihyeon smiled and said,
“If even the slightest fire breaks out anywhere in the palace, there’ll be a flood. That place is already full of water energy.”
“I absolutely won’t give it to you.”
“Yes, that’s a good decision.”
I spread jam on mine too and plopped down in front of Bihyeon. When I took a big bite of bread and chewed, he leaned back comfortably in his chair and watched me. He was smiling but looking at my face with a strange expression, then he too slowly ate.
After swallowing the last piece of bread, I pointed at the plate.
“Should I make you another one?”
“No thanks. I need to eat breakfast later. You should eat in moderation too.”
That’s true. I nodded, finished eating, and took a sip of the coffee I had made for myself.
As expected, he still calls me that side or you. I was about to feel a bit hurt…
Tinkle—
“Welcome.”
I stood up holding the finished plate and turned around. My eyes met with the fish who entered with a bright smile. I smiled back and bowed in greeting, and he strode up to me and grabbed my hand. He pressed a fine-colored handkerchief firmly into my hand, then satisfied, he waved his hand and soon closed his eyes.
“May good things fill your life.”
The fish who spoke softly as if casting a spell soon let go of my hand and smiled brightly.
“How is it! Isn’t it pretty? You have no idea how much effort I put into making it.”
“Yes. It’s really pretty.”
It’s clearly a cool sky blue color resembling a lake, but I don’t know why it gives such a warm feeling. I smiled slightly while looking at the handkerchief, then bowed again.
“Thank you.”
Hoho, the one who had been looking at me with kind eyes raised his hand to check the time, then said he should get going and headed for the door. Then, as if he just noticed Bihyeon, he trembled greatly and bowed deeply. As if bothered by not greeting him first, he watched Bihyeon’s reaction, but Bihyeon casually waved his hand as if it was fine.
Watching him leave quickly, I moved my gaze to the handkerchief.
Why does it feel like precious things keep increasing whenever I’m here?
My chest felt strange, so I tapped it lightly, then carefully put it in my shopping bag and turned around.
